The World Are Encouraged to Join as the Additional Haim Sisters Bandmate.
"When are you speaking to the Haim sisters?" a message reads. "My request was to ask if I can join as their extra sister."
There's just a single issue: The sender also wants to be Haim's newest recruit. Furthermore, we are not alone. Several high-profile admirers have publicly petitioned for the position.
The evidence suggests something is happening. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana launched their career doing sets at small eateries with their family. Now they're repeated Grammy nominees.
In the tradition of the best bands, they're a close unit. Their videos repeatedly feature them walking in harmony down the roads of Los Angeles. In concert, they perform with such boundless joy you find yourself thinking, "I want to be involved in that, too."
"The numerous instances on tour that fans approached us and said, 'After your show, I picked up a drum kit'," remarks Alana, the most junior of the trio. "That's the biggest honor. That is recognition in itself. We have succeeded if we can encourage others to make music."
"Therefore everyone are welcome to be the honorary Haim sister."
Historic Recognition
The band are speaking from their homes, where they're taking a pause after an extensive tour in for their fourth album, I Quit.
They're presently reeling from the news it's been nominated for best rock album at the Grammys – with Haim the first female band ever in contention for the prize.
"I watch the nominations every year, so it kind of feels like an out-of-body experience when your name is announced," says Alana. "I immediately called my sisters to say, 'Am I hearing this correctly or am I hallucinating'?"
The weight of the honor isn't lost on the band.
"We really set out to make a rock album this time, so it's a significant milestone," continues Alana. "Yet we're just grateful for the female artists that came before us."
Personal Turmoil and Humour
The record came out of a phase of personal change. All three sisters found themselves single, and the music inhabits that unique liminal space where you're relieved to be free, but not quite ready to let go.
The themes track endings and partings. The sisters seek love, but not the kind of love they've had. You can hear them working out in the moment who they want to be.
"That's a perfect description, yes," agrees Danielle. "I Quit is like a personal statement. You have to make an effort in shutting out the criticism and saying, 'It doesn't matter to me what people think'."
Evolution of Sound
That recent resilience required a fresh approach – more unpolished and powerful than anything the band had done before.
For Danielle, who co-produced the album, that started with the drum sound.
"Drums are such a detailed thing, and I focus so intensely about it," she states.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the subject of our book," quips Alana. "Our motto is, our albums cannot begin until we find the ideal drum sound."
Anecdotes and Shared Laughter
The band's openness inspired the album's marketing, where the sisters disclosed some of their personal tales.
One man left Este over a health consideration. Alana recalled a story of flying to spend New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a casual gesture at midnight.
"When you're going through these breakups, you just feel like there's only darkness," explains Alana. "So to be able to laugh at those stories and have them tell you wilder stories, it's incredible."
A Confident Path
It's not difficult sense a shift in the band. These days, Haim are more certain of their place in the industry.
They're major draws, with hit albums and an international audience.
Yet the band will forever be their number one commitment.
"Me and my siblings have been playing music since I was little," shares Alana. "It's like nothing else that we were supposed to do. And I'm really fortunate we've made it and we're still going strong."
